A-01 (A Company / A Foundation): Winner of World Design Awards 2025. The No Footprint Wood House is located along the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Its bioclimatic design integrates with the surrounding lush tropical forest and natural habitat. The project forms part of the multi-award-winning No Footprint House series (NFH). Climate-responsive building variations are based on passive design strategies such as site-specific positioning and the use of natural resources. Industrial building techniques and prefabricated components are combined with locally harvested and regenerative construction materials. Since the creation of the first NFH prototype in 2018, a broad range of modular typologies have been built in response to the diverse micro-climatic conditions of Costa Rica.

New and alternative construction materials have been developed to continuously improve the overall project performance. For the prototype of the wooden house, a laminated teak wood system has been engineered in collaboration with the national building industry and international expertise. The process results in a systemic kit of parts that includes columns and beams, as well as panels and connectors with different finishing options. The systemic catalog of selected building components makes it easy for clients to choose from a pre-selected and varied range of sustainable construction materials that stimulate local and circular economies. Besides developing an innovative construction system, the project catalyzes the training of workmanship and students to engage with the innovative building techniques. The efficiency of the NFH in all areas, from design to construction and maintenance, makes sustainable homes an affordable reality for a broad customer segment. The unique prototypes serve as a base for the serial reproduction of typologies that vary in size and cost. Homeowners can choose from an ample range of pre-designed options, or customize their NFH according to personal budgets and needs. The project supports integral sustainability and regenerative development in terms of its ecological, socio-economic and spatial performance.

Project Details:-
Firm
A-01 (A Company / A Foundation)

Architect
Oliver Schütte

Project Name
No Footprint Wood House

Project Category
Architecture Design – Residential (Built)

Team
Oliver Schütte, Marije van Lidth de Jeude, Ronald Carvajal, José Pablo Gonzalez, Misael Rodríguez

Project Location
Uvita

Country
Costa Rica

Photography ©Credit
©A-01 / Fernando Alda

A-01 (A Company / A Foundation) is an interdisciplinary network organization for sustainable and regenerative development. The participatory work methodology of A-01 breaks the boundaries of a single profession to allow for a holistic and inclusive approach. All assignments are carried out with custom-fit teams of experts in a dynamic process of co-creation. While the company provides consulting and design services for a variety of topics at different scales, the foundation researches and communicates about the urban and rural condition worldwide. A-01 envisions a long-term impact that involves fair economic growth with an equal social development, a responsible use of natural resources and a high-quality spatial surrounding. This complex set of factors is simply referred to as the 4E of integral sustainability: Economy, Equality, Environment and Engineering.